Guest guest Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 I'd skip it - my children are 4 and 2 and have also gotten the required vaccines that they need to go to school but have never gotten the flu vaccine - and have never gotten the flu (knock on wood) --- lilmunkydunk <lilmunkydunk wrote: > I am undecided. My son turned 2 in August, so he's > just past the cusp > of what the medical pros say is the high risk age. > He does not attend > daycare, but we do go out in public and congregate > with the masses of > our heavily populated area. I'm fearful of vaccines, > and know that > animals suffer and die in the creation of vaccines. > I'm also fearful of > the flu, and don't want it to ravage my boy's little > body. I have > allowed the doctor to administer all > recommended/required vaccines. We > spend plenty of time with my 82 year old > grandmother, who also > questions the safety of vaccines in children. I > have urged Grandma to > get the shot, because she is in the high risk > category. > > Last year, there was the flu vaccine shortage hype, > so my boy got the > first series of the shot. It just didn't sit right > with me, so when it > was time to do the second shot, I declined. > > My little man has had only one illness to date - a > stomach virus that > landed him in the ER. Besides the i.v. in the ER, > I've never used > antibiotics or medications on him. He gets > supplements (added vit C > inthe cool months) and 98% whole organic food. He > also gets daily > saline and aloe mist in each nostril to lube the > airways and fight off > colds. > > What are your thoughts on vaccinating (or not) your > own children? > > Nikki > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Nikki, My son is almost 19.5 months old, and we are not getting a flu shot for him. It's been my experience that their are many strains of the influenze each winter per region and the flu shot only protects against one strain, or at least only a small number of strains. I've had the flu two or three times in my entire life, and only received a flu vaccination once, and I got the flu a two months after receiving the vaccination. Personally I would not do it, especially if you are still breastfeeding. -Scott , " lilmunkydunk " <lilmunkydunk@a...> wrote: > > I am undecided. My son turned 2 in August, so he's just past the cusp > of what the medical pros say is the high risk age. He does not attend > daycare, but we do go out in public and congregate with the masses of > our heavily populated area. I'm fearful of vaccines, and know that > animals suffer and die in the creation of vaccines. I'm also fearful of > the flu, and don't want it to ravage my boy's little body. I have > allowed the doctor to administer all recommended/required vaccines. We > spend plenty of time with my 82 year old grandmother, who also > questions the safety of vaccines in children. I have urged Grandma to > get the shot, because she is in the high risk category. > > Last year, there was the flu vaccine shortage hype, so my boy got the > first series of the shot. It just didn't sit right with me, so when it > was time to do the second shot, I declined. > > My little man has had only one illness to date - a stomach virus that > landed him in the ER. Besides the i.v. in the ER, I've never used > antibiotics or medications on him. He gets supplements (added vit C > inthe cool months) and 98% whole organic food. He also gets daily > saline and aloe mist in each nostril to lube the airways and fight off > colds. > > What are your thoughts on vaccinating (or not) your own children? > > Nikki > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Nikki, Vaccine issues are as individual as people's tastes in food. When I teach my natural childbirth classes, I give out resources from all different sources; so that parents can make an educated decision. I to NVIC newsletter( Nat'l Vaccine Info. Center). That being said, my 9 yr old has never been vaccinated. I did tons of research and talked with parents and other practitioners before making my decision. I had friends whose children had vaccine reactions and those who vaccinate without problems. I didn't want to risk the adverse reactions. I read the ingredients in the vaccines and decided I made the right choice for our family. We live outside of Washington D.C. and go all sorts of places with him. He has been to Europe when he was 16 mths old and no problem. We have flown, taken buses, trains etc. and no big illnesses. We have had a few colds here and there. I exposed him to the chicken pox by bringing him to a friend's house whose son had them and he got them 12 days later. I gave him vit C and some homeopathics and he didn't get a fever or even one itchy spot. He has no pox marks on him and he was covered from head to toe. There are homeopathic nosodes that you can use in lieu of traditional vaccines. I just finished researching homeopathic flu info. Pleae feel free to email me privately if you want. Peace, Laura lilmunkydunk writes: What are your thoughts on vaccinating (or not) your own children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 I have to agree that you need to make an informed choice. My children have been to the homeopath since birth and I only vaccinated against polio and menengitus. I smiled when you said you exposed your son to chicken pox. I've tried that 2 or 3 times with all three and still no luck. We are rarely sick and I credit our homeopath. We are fortunate that our doctor is Indian and very familiar with homeopathy and the two work in conjunction with each other. I do believe that our society does try and 'bully' parents into giving vaccines. I once had a school secretary refuse to allow my child into school the first day. I told her I wanted to sign the waver for no vaccines and she said there was no such thing. Well, after being firm, she produced the waver and there were no problems after that. Just know your infomration and your rights. Tammy VAP79 wrote: Nikki, Vaccine issues are as individual as people's tastes in food. When I teach my natural childbirth classes, I give out resources from all different sources; so that parents can make an educated decision. I to NVIC newsletter( Nat'l Vaccine Info. Center). That being said, my 9 yr old has never been vaccinated. I did tons of research and talked with parents and other practitioners before making my decision. I had friends whose children had vaccine reactions and those who vaccinate without problems. I didn't want to risk the adverse reactions. I read the ingredients in the vaccines and decided I made the right choice for our family. We live outside of Washington D.C. and go all sorts of places with him. He has been to Europe when he was 16 mths old and no problem. We have flown, taken buses, trains etc. and no big illnesses. We have had a few colds here and there. I exposed him to the chicken pox by bringing him to a friend's house whose son had them and he got them 12 days later. I gave him vit C and some homeopathics and he didn't get a fever or even one itchy spot. He has no pox marks on him and he was covered from head to toe. There are homeopathic nosodes that you can use in lieu of traditional vaccines. I just finished researching homeopathic flu info. Pleae feel free to email me privately if you want. Peace, Laura lilmunkydunk writes: What are your thoughts on vaccinating (or not) your own children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 My three children have had all rounds of vaccines- my mother was anurse and demanded it for one- I was young and din't know better, two - And my children are in public school- which vaccines are required to enter school - in California anyway- personally I don't think the flu vaccine is necessary - lots of high antioxidant friuts would do better to keep the flu away - no one in our family has ever had the flu - so - we just don't bother- plus - it seems to do more harm than good and only vaccinates for single stains - good luck with your decision Wendi FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2005 Report Share Posted October 24, 2005 I just had my kids vaccinated today. The baby will have to go back again in a month for another one. My pediatrician said this vaccine is for 3 different strains of the flu and will protect against strains that are similar to the exact one it is for. My middle one had the vaccine once during her first winter because she was premature. the others have never had it before but the baby is only a year old so I figured I'd do them all to keep her more protected. Ofcourse, I can't have a flu shot since I am allergic to egg whites. when I told this to the pediatircian my oldest exclaimed, " YOU MEAN THIS WAS NOT VEGAN! " Oh well. I hope I have done the right thing but I guess we can only do the best we can, right? Carol Wendi Johnson <vegforce3 wrote: My three children have had all rounds of vaccines- my mother was anurse and demanded it for one- I was young and din't know better, two - And my children are in public school- which vaccines are required to enter school - in California anyway- personally I don't think the flu vaccine is necessary - lots of high antioxidant friuts would do better to keep the flu away - no one in our family has ever had the flu - so - we just don't bother- plus - it seems to do more harm than good and only vaccinates for single stains - good luck with your decision Wendi FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2005 Report Share Posted October 24, 2005 Original Message ----- " NVICNews " <news <news Wednesday, October 05, 2005 10:09 AM [NVIC] Peds Throw No-Vax Families Out > E-NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER > Vienna, Virginia http://www.nvic.org > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > UNITED WAY/COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN > #8122 > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > " Protecting the health and informed consent rights of children since 1982. " > > ============================================================================ ============== > http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/DevicesandVaccines/tb/1861 > MedPageToday > > October 03, 2005 > > Pediatricians Would Give Vaccine-Averse Parents the Boot > > By Neil Osterweil, Senior Associate Editor, MedPage Today > Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Assistant Professor of Medicine, University > of California, San Francisco > > Also covered by: ABC News, MSNBC > > > > CHICAGO, Oct. 3 - Families who refuse to let their kids be vaccinated may be > shown the door by their pediatricians, according to investigators here. > > > In a survey of 302 pediatricians who provide routine vaccinations in a > primary care setting, 39% said they would dismiss from their care families > who refused all vaccinations, and 28% said they would terminate their > relationship with a family who refused select vaccinations. > > > The results were reported by Erin A. Flanagan-Klygis, M.D., and colleagues > of Rush Children's Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, and Northwestern > University, in the October 2005 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent > Medicine. > > > " Responses to our survey suggest that some pediatricians, faced with vaccine > refusal, may seek to end their relationships with refusing families, citing > a breakdown in trust, fear of litigation, or lack of common commitment to > 'standard' medical care for children, " the investigators wrote. > > > But a better approach to dumping a family for refusing vaccinations may be > to get them to sign a vaccine refusal form, suggested J.W. Hendricks, M.D., > a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa, > in a accompanying editorial. > > > Dr. Hendricks noted that in a policy statement published earlier this year > in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Bioethics > recommended keeping the lines of communication open even when families > appear to be working against the best interest of the child. > > > " Continued refusal after adequate discussion should be respected unless the > child is put at significant risk of serious harm (as, for example, might be > the case during an epidemic), " the AAP statement reads in part. " Only then > should state agencies be involved to override parental discretion on the > basis of medical neglect. Physician concerns about liability should be > addressed by good documentation of the discussion of the benefits of > immunization and the risks associated with remaining unimmunized. Physicians > also may wish to consider having the parents sign a refusal waiver. " > > > In their survey, Dr. Flanagan-Klygis and colleagues wanted to solicit > responses from pediatricians to various scenarios of vaccine refusal, and to > identify reasons why parents refuse vaccines and why pediatricians ask them > to leave the practice. The investigators also sought to evaluate the > attitudes of pediatricians about both well-established vaccines and newer > immunizations (e.g, against hepatitis B -- HBV and varicella zoster virus > (VZV)). > > > They sent surveys to 1,003 active AAP members, and based their study on the > responses of 302 physicians who reported that they routinely vaccinated > children in a primary-care setting. > > > They found that traditional vaccines -- diphtheria, tetanus and acellular > pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB), measles, mumps and > rubella (MMR), and inactivated poliovirus (IPV) -- were viewed by a > substantial majority of pediatricians as " extremely important " (95.7% to > 85.0%). > > > In contrast, however, newer immunizations such as HBV, VZV and 7-valent > pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) earned only lukewarm reviews, with 27.8% to > 36.1% of those surveyed ranking them as " somewhat important. " A small > proportion of respondents said that the PCV7, HBC, VZV and even IPV vaccines > were " optional " (4.6%, 2.3%, 6.6%, and 0.99%, respectively). > > > In all, 256 of the 302 (85%) reported a partial vaccine refusal within the > last year, and 54% said they had encountered a parent who turned down all > vaccines. When parents refused a specific vaccine, 73% of those surveyed > attributed the refusal to safety concerns, 22% said that parents were > apparently concerned about administration of multiple vaccines all at once, > 13% chalked it up to philosophical opposition to vaccination, and 7% laid > the blame on religious reasons (more than one possible reason was allowed on > the questionnaire). > > > Asked whether they would decline to treat children of those who refuse all > vaccines and if so why, 82 (28%) said they would ask the family to leave > their practice if the parents refused specific vaccines, and 116 (39%) said > they were inclined to hand complete vaccine refusers their walking papers. > It is not clear whether any of the pediatricians actually did as they said > they would do. > > > About 80% of those who would toss patients out said that a lack of shared > goals would be an extremely important factor in the decision, and about 70% > rated lack of trust as an equally important reason. About 13% of all > respondents cited fear of litigation as a reason. Worries about decreased > reimbursement apparently would drive the patient-termination decision in > about 94% of cases of specific vaccine refusals, but only in 12% of cases > where the shots were shunned totally. > > > " In the wake of recent controversies regarding autism and thimerosal [a > vaccine preservative], parents may request that certain vaccines (such as > MMR or HBV) be avoided or delayed until a certain point, such as after the > period of highest risk for sudden infant death syndrome, or after the > achievement of major language milestones, " the researchers wrote. > > > They argued that physicians are best suited to educate parents about the > facts and fiction surrounding childhood vaccinations. > > > " Vaccine refusal is a challenge we should meet, not avoid, " they asserted. > " Pediatricians, individually and collectively, should examine how much time > and effort to spend on education and advocacy or frank persuasion before > asking a family to seek care elsewhere. " > > > http://www.suntimes.com/output/health/cst-nws-vaccine04.html > Health/Fitness > > Docs may drop families over shots > > October 4, 2005 > > BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter > > > > > Nearly two out of five pediatricians say they would dismiss families that > refuse to get vaccines, a survey has found. > > The finding illustrates how passionately doctors believe in vaccines, said > lead researcher Dr. Erin Flanagan-Klygis of Rush Children's Hospital. > > However, she added: " You can question the ethics. There probably are more > constructive ways to deal with it. " > > Flanagan-Klygis and colleagues from Children's Memorial Hospital and > Northwestern University surveyed 1,004 pediatricians and received 452 > responses. Their study is published in the Archives of Pediatric and > Adolescent Medicine. > > Eighty-five percent of pediatricians said that during the past 12 months, a > parent had refused at least one vaccine. Fifty-four percent said a parent > had refused all vaccines. > > Thirty-nine percent said they would dismiss families that refused all > vaccines, after repeated attempts to educate them. The main reasons they > cited: lack of trust between doctor and patient and lack of shared goals for > the child's care. > > State allows religious objections > > > > A minority of parents object to vaccines. Some don't want to subject their > children to repeated shots. Others worry the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine > could cause autism. Or they believe newer vaccines such as hepatitis B and > chickenpox aren't necessary -- children generally aren't at risk for > hepatitis B, while chickenpox usually is not life-threatening. > > Medical societies and government agencies say the vaccine-autism link is > unproven and the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks. > > Schools require vaccines. But 48 states, including Illinois, allow families > to refuse on religious grounds. And 19 states, not including Illinois, allow > exemptions for philosophical reasons or reasons of conscience, according to > Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education. > > The American Academy of Pediatrics offers this advice for doctors when > families refuse vaccines: > > * Discuss vaccines each visit. > > * Respect the parent's wishes, unless the child is facing a serious risk > from, for example, an epidemic. > > * Do not dismiss the family, unless there are huge differences in philosophy > of care, a breakdown in communications or a " substantial level of distrust. " > > Many vaccine skeptics go to a chain of Home First clinics in the city and > suburbs, where doctors offer vaccines but don't push them. > > " We're honored to take care of your family if you decide to get all of the > vaccines, some of the vaccines or none of the vaccines, " said medical > director Dr. Mayer Eisenstein. > > > > ============================================= > News is a free service of the National Vaccine Information > Center and is supported through membership donations. Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how to protect your informed consent rights http://www.nvic.org > > Become a member and support NVIC's work > https://www.nvic.org/making%20cash%20donations.htm > > To sign up for a free e-mail subscription http://www.nvic.org/emaillist.htm > > To from this list, send an email to news-request and type UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the email. > > NVIC is funded through individual membership donations and does not receive government funding. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-founder. > NOTE: This is not an interactive e-mail list. Please do not respond to messages. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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